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RED VELVET FLOURLESS BEET CAKE

The natural red color of the beets gives this cake the traditional reddish hue without the use of an artificial dye. An added benefit of the recipe? It’s gluten-free.

By / Photography By | August 26, 2019

Ingredients

SERVINGS: one 8-inch Cake(s)
  • 3 medium red beets, scrubbed
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil or canola oil
  • 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup cocoa powder, sifted, plus 1 Tbsp for dusting the pan
  • 1½ cups almond flour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1¼ cups packed brown sugar
Glaze
  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil or canola oil

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Place scrubbed beets on a large piece of aluminum foil. Loosely encase beets in the foil. Place foil packet on a baking sheet pan. Roast beets until a paring knife easily goes through them; about 45 to 50 minutes depending on the size of the beets. Remove from oven and cool. Place beets under cool running water and, using a paring knife, remove skin. It is recommended to use disposable food safe gloves to avoid red stains on your hands. Coarsely chop the beets and place in a food processor with the 2 tablespoons of water. Pulse until pureed. Measure out 1 cup of puree. Any remaining beet puree can be used in a smoothie or homemade juice.

Reduce oven heat to 350 degrees. Spray an 8-inch springform pan with nonstick food spray. Place a piece of parchment on bottom of pan and spray top of parchment with spray. Sprinkle 1 tablespoon cocoa powder in the pan and tap to evenly distribute on the pan bottom.

Place the 2 ounces of chocolate and 2 tablespoons oil in a microwavable container. Microwave in 15 second bursts until chocolate is melted.

Remove from microwave and stir in the 1 cup of pureed beets, vinegar and vanilla. In a bowl, combine the sifted cocoa powder, almond flour, baking soda, cinnamon and salt. In the bowl of an electric stand mixer fitted with a whisk attachment, beat the four eggs and the brown sugar until tripled in volume and light in color, about 6 to 7 minutes. The mixture should form a ribbon when the beater is lifted. It is important to get a lot of volume in the eggs. Add the chocolate beet mixture into the eggs and beat to combine. Turn off mixer and gently add the dry ingredients. Turn mixer on low and mix until just combined.

Pour batter into the prepared pan. Bake for approximately 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Be careful not to over bake. Remove from oven and let cake cool for 15 minutes. Remove cake side and invert cake onto a cooling rack. The bottom of the cake will become the top of the cake.

Place the glaze ingredients in a microwaveable bowl. Microwave in 15 seconds bursts until the chocolate has melted. Let chocolate glaze cool for 10 to 15 minutes. It will thicken slightly as it cools. Place a piece of parchment paper under the cooling rack with the cake. Carefully pour the chocolate glaze on top of the cake letting excess drip down the sides. Let cake sit at room temperature for 2 to 3 hours for glaze to set.

Ingredients

SERVINGS: one 8-inch Cake(s)
  • 3 medium red beets, scrubbed
  • 2 Tbsp water
  • 2 Tbsp coconut oil or canola oil
  • 2 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 tsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp vanilla extract
  • ½ cup cocoa powder, sifted, plus 1 Tbsp for dusting the pan
  • 1½ cups almond flour
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ½ tsp salt
  • 4 large eggs
  • 1¼ cups packed brown sugar
Glaze
  • 4 oz bittersweet chocolate, coarsely chopped
  • 1 Tbsp coconut oil or canola oil